Furnace for burning hydrocarbons



(Nmuael.)

. l W. W. THOMAS.

Furnace for-Burning Hydrocarbons.v4

No.-243,47^2. Patented :une 28,1881.

OOK 5@ UNITED #STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. THOMAS, OF JERSEY CITY, NE\V JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL T. THOMAS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

`FURNACE FOR BURNING HYDROCARBONS.

SPECIIE"ICATIONV forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,472, dated June 28, 1881.

Application tiled March 22, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. THOMAS, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New`Jersey, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements for Burning Hydrocarbon Liquids in Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to furnaces in which are arranged perforated retorts in which comio bustible gases are generated from steam and hydrocarbon liquidsuch as tarinjected thereinto, and in which the said gases are ignited, so that they issue therefrom in an ignited condition into the furnace, wherein they I5 meet with a further supply of air and are subjected to more or less combustion. In such furnaces it is found that the tendency of the gas issuing from the perforations of the retort is to pass immediately to the furnace-exit or to 2o the ilues of a boiler it' the furnace be a boilerfurnace, and hence it has been diticult to effect so perfect a mixture of the gases and air inv the furnace as toY effect perfect combustion.

The object of my invention is to retain the `gas in and spread it throughout the furnace,

and also to heat the air which en ters the furnace to support combustion, and to insure the thorough commingling of the heated air and gas, and consequentlya more perfect combustion and greater economy.

To these ends the invention consists in the combination, with a furnace, a perforated retort arranged therein,and means forintroducing steam and hydrocarbon liquid into said 3 5 retort,of partitionplates above and below said retort, between which gas may escape from said retort, and the upper one of which is constructed with apertures and tubes projecting upward from the lower partition-plate, through 4o which air may pass upward to combine with the gas in the portion of the furnace above, such tubes being also heated by the gas to heat the air preparatory to its mixture with gas from the retort.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurelrepresents a transverse vertical section through the furnace or fire-box of a boiler of the locomotive type embodying my invention. Fig.

Y 2 represents a horizontal section on the irregular dotted line xx, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 repreA (N0 model.)

sponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the boiler, and A' the furnace 55 or {ire-box thereof, which is of ordinary form. XViLhin the furnace or tire`box is a horizontally-arranged retort, B, of fire-clay or other suitable refractory or other material, which is here represented as extending the entire length 6o ot` the furnace and projects through the front wall thereof.

O designates an atomizer or injector, which constitutes the means for introducing hydrocarbon liquidsuch as tar and steaminto the retort. The supply of hydrocarbon liquid may be derived through a pipe, a, from an elevated tank or other source of supply, and is injected into the retort in the form of spray by steam, which is taken through a pipe, b, from the 7o steam-dome A2 of the boiler. The air necessary to mingle with the hydrocarbon liquid and steam to support combustion in the retort may he supplied to the retort B by a damper,

C, in the head thereof. 75

Below the retort B is represented a horizontal partition-plate, d, which is supported upon a iiange, e, projecting from the interior wall of the furnace or fire-box A', and upon which the retort B rests, and above the retort and resting 8o thereon is a second plate,f, composed of two sections.

Projecting upward from the lower plate, d, and upon each side of the retort B', are tubes g, which are screwed or otherwise secured in tube-holes in the lower plate, d, andproject through apertures or holes hin the upper plate, f, which are, however, somewhat larger' than the said tubes, as seen clearly in Fig. 2. In lieu of the apertures or holes being concentric with the tubes g, they might be otherwise placed.

Below the lower plate, d, in the front of the furnace A', is a damper, t', through which air enters, and it will be seen that no air can pass 9 5 upward into the upper part ot' the furnace or fire-box above the retort and plate f without passing through the tubes g. l

In the sides of the retort B are numerous perforations,j, through which gas may issue from the retort, and it is -obvious that gas so issuing between the plates d and f can escape into the space in the upper part of the furnace or fire-box only by passing through the apertures h in the upper plate, f.

In starting the apparatus,a vessel or pan containing inflammable liquid or otherinflammable or combustible material may be -placed in the retort and said material ignited. The steam is then turned onto the atomizer or injector and the retort filled with spray of mingled hydrocarbon liquid and steam, which is ignited and burns freely. The retort is thereby so highly heated that the air, steam, and hydrocarbon liquid admitted are decomposed and converted into a gas. The products of the combustion of gas in the retort and the unignited but highly-heated gas issue from the perforations j, and, coming in contact with the tubes g, heat them andthe air passing through them. The gas and the air issuing from the apertures h and tubes y into the upper part of the furnace or {ire-box are there intimately commingled and a very complete combustion of the gas produced. The heat is distributed quite evenly through the furnace, and the products of combustion pass through the tubes or flues 7c of the boiler, effectively heating the same.

By my invention the partially-consumed gas is prevented from passing too rapidly to the rear of the furnace, and as it heats the air a very perfect combustion is produced and a consequent economy of fuel.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with a furnace, a perforated retort arranged therein, and means for introducingsteam and hydrocarbon liquid into said retort, of partition-plates above and below said retort, between which gas may escape from said retort, and the upper one of which is constructed with apertures, and air-tubes projecting upward from the lower partitionplate, through which air may pass upward to combine with the gas, and which are heated by the gas, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the furnace A', the perforated retort B, the atomizer C, the plate d, thetubes g, projecting upward from said plate, and the plate f, having apertures h, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM W. THOMAS.

Witnesses FREDK. HAYNES, A. G. WEBB. 

